Why is Donald Trump So Popular?

I know many of you might be gagging at the title of this article. After all, what could that nasty narcissist tell us about popularity and leadership? As it turns out, quite a bit.

I always find election time an interesting laboratory of leadership behavior… or misbehavior. This past election cycle is particularly interesting because we had a prominent woman, Hillary Clinton, running against an army of mostly swashbuckling, hard, power men. It’s been crazier than a reality TV show, and would be hilarious if it wasn’t for the fact that these people actually auditioned to run our nation and lead the free world. And even crazier that a reality TV show celebrity ended up winning.

So that brings me to Donald Trump and his shocking popularity among a select number of voters. How could a man who is so obviously flawed, and who has put forth no credible, positive ideas, be so popular? And he is popular. Even if you despise him you are probably interested in what he has to say. Psychologists and leadership researchers are not surprised by his ability to mesmerize. Let me explain why.

Harvard researchers John Neffinger and Matthew Kohut explain in their book “Compelling People” that human beings are wired to follow people who are both strong and warm. Strength is primarily communicated through confidence. Warmth is demonstrated through empathy. It’s pretty simple.If you believe a leader understands your personal hopes and fears, is rock-solid confident, and can defend you from your fears and help you realize your hopes, they will gain your support.

The world is a very confusing and scary place right now. The forces of violence and our economic well-being seem out of control. So when someone shows up brimming with insane levels of confidence (strength), and who promises to defend you against your greatest fears (empathy-warmth) they will get your attention.

One other thing, we like things simple. We hate to hear that things are complicated. We want to depend on people who seem clear and committed and communicate simple solutions. Believe it or not, Donald Trump scores very high with people who share common fears, want simple solutions (like building a wall), and allow themselves to be caught in the tractor beam of his confidence.

Trump’s leadership persona is so powerful that his supporters don’t care that he is self-obsessed, because they believe that his interests in their interests overlap. And because he’s a man. Psychologists tell us that men can get away with a lot more abrasive, self aggrandizing behavior than women. In fact, it’s kind of expected. Trump is just behaving like a super-strong man. After all, his leadership style is not that different from a young Steve Jobs, Elon Musk or Winston Churchill.

The problem with this leadership style is that it requires the leader to be a genius. If you are truly that confident in yourself, you’d better know what the hell you’re doing… otherwise you’re just a belligerent idiot.

Now let’s take a look at Hillary Clinton. She too seemed confident. Her problem was that for many voters it was unclear whether she was fighting for them or fighting for herself. This made her score low in perceived trustworthiness. This is a big problem for a woman candidate. Gender research is clear that we expect men to be self-interested. So men can advocate for themselves, their wealth, status and careers without losing credibility. However, we don’t like women doing that. Thousands of years of human culture have biased our minds to trust women who advocate for others but make their personal interests invisible.

When I’m helping women advance in the workplace or get raises I coach them to make those requests so that they can make bigger and better contributions to the organization. I counsel them not to say things like: “I deserve this.” I agree, this may be unfair but it’s how our brains are wired. If you want some more evidence consider Elizabeth Warren’s popularity with her supporters.

Elizabeth Warren has become a powerful female leader because she projects very strong ‘mother-energy.’ Her message and policy position strongly advocate for low-power people. That seems ‘right’ for a woman leader. Hillary was trying to adopt a similar leadership communication style but did not convince many doubters that she would put their interests above her and Bill’s interests. (Please, Hillary supporters don’t be mad at me, I’m only saying what gender research explains about the way she polled.)

Ideal leadership lies somewhere between the magical synergy of strength and warmth. Or, as I teach it, between hard and soft. That synergy point is called SMART Power.

As a point of reference, two leaders spring to mind as models of SMART power. Abraham Lincoln was extraordinarily strong. He had an unwavering commitment to keeping our nation united even as he fought to transcend our founder’s ‘original sin’ of legalizing slavery. The consistency of his advocacy for national unity and freedom for all made him the immovable force that was essential for success. He was truly strong in hard moments. At the same time he possessed and expressed transformative empathy for everyone from slave to slave-owner and for soldiers on both the North and South.

Eleanor Roosevelt is the second SMART political leader I think of. She was strong. She had to be. She lived in the same White House with her charismatic, brilliant philandering husband because she believed she had a gift to give our nation that could only be given as the First Lady.

As First Lady she wrote an internationally syndicated newspaper column that became the conscience of the nation. She wrote passionately of the plight of the poor and the exploited. She helped galvanize political will for the New Deal. She was nearly single-handedly responsible for the desegregation of our army and the GI Bill. She was a principal driver of the United Nations and the main architect of the UN’s Declaration of Universal Human Rights. All the while she was told she was both too uppity and too ugly to publicly promote these ideas. She was strong and warm, hard and soft… SMART.

History shows that one thing is clear. Leaders who are only strong or hard get us into the most trouble. They use fear to inspire loyalty and blind support. Nevertheless, it is easy for such leaders to become powerful. The leaders who presided over most of the 20th century were Stalin, Mao and Hitler.

Leaders who are empathetic but not strong quickly lose their power. For the most part we don’t even remember their names.

So how about you? If you are naturally empathetic the world is calling for you to be strong. Be clear on your vision. Be unafraid and relentless in the advocacy for a better business, healthier and happier employees, enriched customers and a sustainable future in order to create profitable growth.

If you are strong and naturally confident the world is calling you to pursue more than your own self-interest. Tap into your deep moral ambition. Make your children proud of what you’re accomplishing.

Put simply… our future is calling you to be Lincoln not Trump.

Note: The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by our contributors and authors are not necessarily those of Real Leaders.

Many ‘undesirables’ have already successfully steered the U.S. to where it is today, and some weren’t nearly as smart and qualified as Donald Trump. As a matter of fact, Mr. Trump did not make his millions playing sports, music or lotto games. He labored for his earnings and is a successful businessman. With that said, he is more than qualified to be the next president of the United States of America.

Estam

haha.. successful businessman? gimme a break. it’s what he wants us to believe.

ian shaw

How did Hillary Clinton make her own millions? Just think of that too.

Potarick

I am assuming she made it committing the usual white colour offences.

ian shaw

In addition, I think that this wily two-faced untrustworthy woman will continue Obama’s expansive military policies and might even drag the world into a nuclear war. Why Trump expressed sympathy for Putyin is that like himself, Putyin also talks about preserving his nations’ culture and traditions as opposed to the neoliberal cultural nightmare. Besides a truce with Putyin would definitely stop the Clintonesque warmongering.

Potarick

I like Trump, but his tongue is a bit unbridled. He is clearly a better businessman than politician but is too deeply entrenched in this political mess to back out.

Mrs. Clinton is indeed a snake in the grass and might jus get the opportunity to continue the apocalyptic march towards ww3. She reminds me of biblical Delilah who lead Samson to his untimely demise. Actually, she should be in the kitchen preparing her husband’s daily meal, as well as teaching her grandkids how not to grow up and become politicians.

President Putin I really like, and if I were Russian his vote would be sealed and hand delivered. In my humble opinion he is the best world president currently serving planet earth. He methods and tactics are echoes of necessity—being cornered and probably forced to adopt some western values and military bad habits.

Bitherism represents the single most potent challenge to Trump wining the US Presidency. He gave birth to this movement. He gained popularity and a higher spotlight due to the aggressive manner he pursued the matter. The Birther movement thrust Trump to the spotlight in American politics and it shall render him obsolete in a thrilling run-to-the white house.

He manipulates people into believing that Obama is not an American citizen. He basically accused the state department of fraud and tampering with due process. He slandered Obama for a while and even after failing to prove his erroneous claims, he failed to neither apologise nor be contrite. He said he discovered “absolutely unbelievable” information that was presumably unflattering to President Obama and never brought this to evidence. He enjoyed going after a black man because he didn’t deserve to be President and yet was elected constitutionally. By all accounts Obama is a stand-up guy and Trump is douche bag, a bigot, a racist and a misguided antagonist.

Even though Obama didn’t have to present his birth certificate. Obama felt he owed it to those Americans who may have begun to doubt his citizenship due to Trumps evil, twisted and pathological manipulations. Why doubt it? Because he can and you can’t? If Obama is a secret Kenyan as Trump claims then why has Obama done more for America than Kenya or any other country for that matter? Obama never lied about his Kenyan heritage and his American birthright. No! However, Trump recognises that fact or truth is stranger than fiction. This should not obviscate the fact that he’s at it again, he said he doubted Hillary’s loyalty to Bill, I mean really? Really? Another classic case of Trump manipulations enmasse.

Let’s have a marathon summary of what sums up Trump so far?

1. Delegitimize a legitimate ‘peoples favourite’ President

2. Be the One by slandering the Former

3. He is a racist (Blacks, Muslims)

4. He is an alarmist (America is in a very bad way, last time i checked it’s still the greatest country in America).

5. He is still a supporter or a member of the KKK

Make no mistake Trump is a sociopath that has made billions and billions of dollars of hardworking Americans. Trump lives for free in America, He does not pay taxes and yet he gets to keep his ill-gotten loot?

The basic undertones of his demagoguery campaign are to get people into panic mode as he employs a dark and under threat America.

What sense can we make about Trump?

What this has revealed is that Captain Obvious assassinates characters of good people to suit his own selfish agendas! He is a brooch of worldly proportions. He cries foul when things aren’t in his favour. Drump is a character, a corporate stooge cartoon, a misogynist, a birther conceptualiser of self bigotry, self-importance, a racist, a very determined xenophobe, pathological liar, a manipulation master and grand stage puppeteer.

Trump can concoct ill-considered malicious falsehoods to force people’s hand, just for the fun of it. Trump thrives well on the dimishment of others. He may be smart and savvy businessman but he is not a net-contributor towards the USs welfare. He is practically a leach who enjoys at the expense of public infrastructure, machinery and goods and yet pays not a cent towards its upkeep or development, through taxes all because he is smart and filthy rich. Who knows? He may have engineered those bankruptcies to profit from it at a later date as he is doing now. Such a rip off! While millions of Americans continue to pay their taxes to make America great again! In closing, He is not fit to become President; However Hillary is more than qualified to lead the country. She may not have all the qualities that former presidents may have had but in her unique way she will lead the country in the best way possible and according to her ability. To me she has her weaknesses but is first a Woman trying to make it in a man’s world, she is a mother, a very wife, a formerly industrious 67th United States Secretary of State, United States Senator, First Lady of the United States and First Lady of Arkansas. She has served her country in many respects and has served the most Presidents of the Presidential candidates vying for the Presidential Post. Indeed it is time to have the first American Female President of the United States of America after having the first American Black President of the United States of America. America needs a ‘gloves-off’ approach not some wheeler dealer fly by joe.

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